INF.2 14 March 2011 ENGLISH ONLY UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN STATISTICIANS UNECE Work Session on the Communication of Statistics – Sale VI (29 June – 1 July 2011, Geneva, Switzerland) INFORMATION NOTICE No.2 LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS IN GENEVA The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will host the work session in Geneva, Switzerland, from 9.30 a.m. on 29 June to 5 p.m. on 1 July 2011 I. MEETING AND WORKSHOP VENUE 1. The meeting will be held at the United Nations, Palais des Nations, Avenue de la Paix 8, Geneva. The meeting room is Salle VII. II. ACCESS TO THE PALAIS DES NATIONS 2. Before entering the Palais des Nations, delegates must collect their security badge from the Security Identification Unit, located at the visitors’ entrance: Pregny Gate, 14 Avenue de la Paix. It is advisable to arrive here at least 45 minutes before the meeting is due to start in order to allow time to collect your badge and make your way to the meeting room. The Pregny gate is opposite the Red Cross ("CICR") building, approximately 300 metres uphill from the Nations gate, where the flags of UN member countries can be seen. Refer to the map at Appendix A or at Google Maps (http://tinyurl.com/UNmapgeneva). You can also download the map of the UN premises at http://www.unece.org/meetings/UN_Map.pdf 3. The following documents should be presented to the Security Office: • Original of the registration form • Photo ID (e.g. passport) 4. Only delegates who previously sent their registration forms to the UNECE Statistical Division will be able to obtain their entry passes. 5. Once you have your entry pass it will be possible to re-enter the Palais des Nations from either the Nations gate, or the Pregny gate. III. FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN GENEVA 6. Geneva International Airport now offers incoming passengers a free ticket for public transport. These tickets, available from a machine in the baggage collection area, allow you to use any public transport (train, tram, bus, boat) in Geneva and surrounding areas for a period of 80 minutes. Look for the machine pictured below after collecting your luggage and before walking out through the customs area. 7. When checking-in at your hotel you should receive a free Geneva Transport Card, enabling you to use the entire Geneva public transport system free of charge throughout your stay. Getting from the Airport into Geneva 8. The Geneva Airport is approximately four kilometres from the city centre. The train is the most efficient way to get into the city centre. Follow the signs to the airport railway station from the arrivals area. All trains leaving from the airport stop at the central Geneva-Cornavin station. The journey takes six minutes. Instructions for getting to the meeting venue from the city centre are in section IV below. 9. In addition to the train, there are buses from the airport to various parts of Geneva: • United Nations / Office du Nations Unies (ONU) - Palais des Nations: bus 5 - stop Nations bus 28 - stop Appia • Geneva city centre - Onex: bus 10 • Meyrin: bus 28 • Le Lignon - Lancy - Plan-les-Ouates: bus 23 10. Taxis are readily available from the airport. They are metered, so costs will vary, but the journey from the airport into the city centre will usually cost around CHF 30. 11. Tourist and public transport information is available at the Unireso information desk in the airport arrival hall after you go through customs. More information on Geneva’s free public transport initiative is available from: • Public transport from Geneva Airport - http://www.gva.ch/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-67/ • Free Geneva Transport Card - http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch/index.php?rubrique=0000000417 IV. TRANSPORT TO AND FROM THE PALAIS DES NATIONS 12. Geneva is a small and walkable city. It takes about 25 minutes to walk from the Cornavin train station to the Place des Nations. It will take another 5-10 minutes to walk from the Nations entrance, through the building to the meeting room. 13. There are two trams that go from the front (lake side) of the central Cornavin train station to the Place des Nations (the main square outside the Palais des Nations). The trams are numbered 13 or 15 and should be taken in the direction ‘Nations’, which is also the name of the last stop where you should get out. 14. Buses 5, 8, 28, F, V, and Z serve the Place des Nations, and stop close to the Nations gate. Buses 8, 28, F, V and Z also stop near the Pregny Gate at the stop named Appia. 15. The closest train station to the Palais des Nations is called Secheron, which is one stop from the Cornavin station on the line to Coppet. Secheron is located near the Botanic Gardens and is not as convenient to the Palais des Nations entrances as the bus and tram stops (around 300 metres walk up to the Nations gate). 16. Further information such as itineraries, timetables and fares, is available on the site of the Transports Publics Genevois (http://www.tpg.ch/). A map of public transport routes is available at http://www.tpg.ch/fr/horaires-et-reseau/plans-du-reseau/reseau-tpg-centre-ville.php Click on “Téléchargez le plan (PDF)” to download the map of public transport routes in PDF. 17. Taxis are expensive but generally easy to find. A taxi stand is located on Avenue de la Paix, 50 metres uphill from the Nations gate. Taxis are usually available around the clock. The following direct telephone number will ensure arrival within minutes: 022 331 41 33. Taxis may not enter the UN compound - passengers will have to disembark at the Pregny or Nations gate. V. ACCOMMODATION 18. It is the responsibility of delegates to make their own accommodation arrangements. Given the wide variety of hotels around the city, the secretariat has not made any reservations or recommendations. You can refer to Geneva Tourism website for the list of hotels: http://www.geneva-tourism.ch 19. It is imperative that hotel reservations are made as early as possible as Geneva is a busy conference venue and hotels can get booked out. VI. GENERAL INFORMATION 20. For more information about Geneva, the United Nations Office of Geneva, accommodation and public transport, please refer to the websites listed at: http://www.unece.org/meetings/practical.htm 21. Please contact the UNECE secretariat if you have any questions. Mr. Vadim Isakov Associate Statistician, Statistical Division, UN Economic Commission for Europe Palais des Nations 1211-GENEVA 10, Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 917 3401 (office) / +41 79 960 26 55 (mobile) Fax: +41 22 917 0040 e-mail: [email protected] Appendix A How to find the UN building in Geneva: Pregny gate Nations gate Where to obtain the entry pass (Security Office, Pregny Gate, 14 avenue de la Paix): Facing to Lake Geneva Door A11 Entry for delegates with valid ground pass: Nations gate and Pregny gate ( ) Note: a valid photo ID is needed to obtain the ground pass and to gain the entry to the UN premises. After collecting your badge at security follow the path indicated ( approx. 150 metres) to enter through Door A11. Once inside there will be signs to guide you to the meeting rooms. .